JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo

AIRS

Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, or AIRS, instrument is a key tool for climate studies on greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide distribution, as well as weather forecasts.

Visit Mission Website
AIRS

Mission Statistics

Time in Orbit

Loading…
Yrs
 : 
Mos
 : 
Days
 : 
Hrs
 : 
Mins
 : 
Secs

Launch Date

May 4, 2002

Type

Instrument

Target

Earth

Status

Current

About the mission

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, or AIRS, instrument is a key tool for climate studies on greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide distribution, as well as weather forecasts. When it launched in 2002 along with five other instruments aboard NASA's Aqua satellite, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder became the most advanced atmospheric sounding system ever deployed in space.

The instrument is designed to collect climate data and turn it into 3-D maps of air and surface temperature, water vapor and cloud properties, helping improve researchers' understanding of severe weather patterns and how they relate to global climate change.

AIRS observes 2,378 wavelengths of heat radiation in the air below the satellite.

Key Discoveries

October 2008: A research team lead by AIRS Science Team Leader Moustafa Chahine finds the distribution of carbon dioxide in Earth's mid-troposphere is strongly influenced by major surface sources of carbon dioxide and by large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns, such as the jet streams and weather systems in Earth's mid-latitudes. Patterns of carbon dioxide distribution were also found to differ significantly between the northern hemisphere, with its many land masses, and the southern hemisphere, which is largely covered by ocean.

December 2008: A NASA study using data from AIRS found that the frequency of extremely high clouds in Earth's tropics -- the type associated with severe storms and rainfall -- is increasing as a result of global warming

November 2012: Relative humidity data from AIRS is used in a NASA study analyzing hurricane patterns to improve hurricane strength forecasts. In a separate study led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory using data from AIRS along with a handful of other NASA satellites, scientists were able to estimate how much the growth of plants worldwide is limited by the amount of nutrients available in their soil.

Instruments

  • Cooled array grating spectromer
  • Cross-track rotary scan mirror
  • Four-color imaging photometer
  • Multi-aperture spectrometer

Mission Highlights

May 4, 2002

Launch

Launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

Oct. 1, 2008

First Global Satellite Maps of Carbon Dioxide

A NASA/university team publishes the first global satellite maps of the key greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in Earth's mid-troposphere, an area about 8 kilometers, or 5 miles, above Earth.

Dec. 1, 2009

Complete Global Carbon Dioxide Dataset Released

The AIRS science team releases the most accurate and complete global carbon dioxide data set to date, based on seven-plus years of measurements from AIRS.

Jan. 1, 2013

Atmospheric Gravity Waves Located

Researchers used AIRS' data record to find 18 global hot spots for atmospheric gravity waves.

May 4, 2017

Fifteenth Anniversary of Launch

Target: Earth
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

AIRS, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder on NASA's Aqua satellite, gathers infrared energy emitted from Earth's surface and atmosphere globally, every day. Its data provides 3D measurements of temperature and water vapor through the atmospheric column along with a host of trace gases, surface and cloud properties. View the full interactive experience at Eyes on the Solar System.

More about Earth, Climate Change and Weather

Image .

Mir Diamond Mine, Siberia

News .

NASA Uses 30-Year Satellite Record to Track and Project Rising Seas

News .

NASA Uses 30-Year Satellite Record to Track and Project Rising Seas

Image .

30 Years of Sea Level Rise

News .

Ranking Atmospheric Rivers: New Study Finds World of Potential

News .

Ranking Atmospheric Rivers: New Study Finds World of Potential

Image .

Chausey, French Channel Islands

Event April 20, 2023 .

Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) Mission

News .

NASA and Italian Space Agency Join Forces on Air Pollution Mission

News .

NASA-ISRO Science Instruments Arrive in India Ahead of 2024 Launch

Mission Website
Aqua Earth Science mission

Explore Other Missions

AVIRIS-NG

ASTER

Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer

CloudSat

Airborne Snow Observatory

Deep Space Atomic Clock

AcrimSat

Aquarius

Explorer 1

ECOSTRESS

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Directions and Maps
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono
CL#: 21-0018